1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image pickup apparatus and, more particularly, to an image pickup apparatus which is suitable to be used for obtaining information regarding an object to be photographed.
2. Related Background Art
In recent video camera and digital camera, not only a video image is photographed, but a trial to realize a more advanced application by making use of a construction for recording the image as electronic data is also made.
For example, various information is added to image data. The information which is added to the image data is generally called “meta data”. Information such as photographing state and characteristics of the camera, photographing date and time, type of the camera, and the like can be added as meta data.
The digital camera and the digital video camera are not used only in an application to photograph the video image, but various other applications have begun to be made. Photographing of goods can be mentioned as one of the applications. For example, when goods are sold via the Internet or the like, it is necessary to display an image of the goods onto a homepage in order to describe the goods.
Not only a person who makes a specialty of trading but also a general person often photographs the goods in order to exhibit the goods at an auction of the Internet.
It is demanded to easily add the information, as meta data, regarding the goods to the image data of the goods to be exhibited at the auction. As meta data in such a case, a manufacturing company and a kind of goods, a specific goods code, characteristics of the goods, and the like can be mentioned.
Also in the photographing of persons, the photographing of a landscape, and the like which have generally been performed hitherto, if meta data showing the type and characteristics of the photographed person or object can be added to the image data, a retrieval can be easily performed or the like, so that there is a possibility that a using range is further widened.
However, information regarding an object which is demanded to be added as meta data of the image data is not information existing in the camera. There is, consequently, a problem such that it is difficult to add the information regarding the object to the image data and record it upon photographing.
Therefore, a method whereby a photographer adds the information regarding the object to the image data by inputting the information regarding the object or the like after the photographing is considered.
A method whereby the photographer preliminarily and manually stores the information regarding the object into the camera and adds the stored information regarding the object upon photographing is also considered.
However, according to those methods, since the photographer needs to obtain the information regarding the object by himself and add it to the image data or store it into the camera, such a construction is very troublesome. Thus, it is not always practical.